Outer sole for shoes



Feb. 1, 1944. J, WALSH 2,340,828

OUTER-SOLE FOR SHOES Filed June 18, 1942 Patented Feb. 1, 1944 OUTER SOLE FOR SHOES John J. Walsh, Atn, Mo., assgnor to Hamilton,

Scheu & Walsh Shoe Co., St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application June 18, 1942, Serial No. 447,482

v(Cl. 36-31) 8 Claims.

And with the above and other objects in View, v

my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figures 1, 2, and 3 are perspective views of the fore-part or sole -member proper, of the rear or combined heel-and-shank member, and of the combined shank-and-heel-covering member or apron, respectively, of an outer-sole constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention;

Figure 4 is a plan view of an outer-sole of my invention;

Figure 5 is an inverted fragmentary plan View of the outer-sole;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the outer-sole taken approximately on the line 6 6, Figure 4; l

Figure '7 is a perspective view of the outer-sole;

Figure 8 is an elevational View of a shoe constructed with and embodying an outer-sole of my invention;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of a slightly modified outer-sole embodying my invention; and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary plan view of another slightly modied outer-sole embodying my invention.

Referring now more 'in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates practical embodiments of my invention, the outersole of my invention includes essentially three members, namely, a fore-part or half sole proper A, illustrated in Figure l, a heel-and-shank member B, as shown in Figure 2, and a flexible shank-and-heel-covering member or apron C, illustrated in Figure 3.

The member A is constructed of any suitable standard or conventional semi-rigid sole leather of suitable thickness and having the desired contour and dimensions conformable with the forepart only of the particular shoe in which it is to be embodied, member A, as shown, having a length to terminate at its rear end somewhat to the rear of the ball of the foot.

The member B is constructed of a suitable section of flexible leather or of other suitable material'. Member B has little thickness, is frequently provided from scrap, and has a contour and dimensions, such as is shown, for forming the heel-and-shank of the outer-sole.

The member C is constructed of any suitable' relatively thin exible fabric, such as top or upper leather or other suitable textile material, preferably may have, although not herev particularly shown, upon its outer'face any selected design or configuration, and may be of any selected or particular color, preferably such as to match or blend with the color of the shoe in which the outer-sole. is to be incorporated, member C having a contour and dimensions to substantially or approximately register throughout its margin, except at its forward end, with the member B.

In unitingthe members A, B, and -Cy in the formation of a full or complete outer-sole, the member B is preferably skived at and adjacent its forward margin, as at I, and suitable adhesive 2 applied upon the upper face of suchskived portion l and upon that portion of the memberB immediately thereadjacent, as best seen .in Figure 6. r

A member C is then superposed in approximate registration for the most part-themember Cv is somewhat shorter than the member B, as indicated in Figure 6,-upon the memberB vand flxed at itsforward end-portiononly to the member B, as by the adhesive 2, the member C at and throughout the major portion thereof being entirely free from vthe member B, as best seen in Figure 7, for purposes presently appearing.

A member A, also preferably skived, as at 4, on its under faceand at its rear end-portion, is then at such skived rear end-portion 4 flatwise disposed overlappingly upon the projecting adhesive-equipped end-portion I of the member B and fixed thereto, as by such adhesive 2, the member A, in such connection with the member B, being disposed in a substantially precise buttjoint, as kat 5, with the forward end of the member C.

Thereupon the three members A, B, and C are. preferably further secured together, as by a continuous row of so-called over and under through stitches 6, as shown, and now collectively form a unitary outer-sole, Agenerally designated D, Figures 4, 5, and 7, answering all requirements vin shoe manufacturing andbeing substantially 'the equivalent of astandard outer-sole, but inthe formation of which outer-sole D a great econonry has beeneffected, in that the heel-andshank member B and the shank-and-heel-apron or covering member C may both be constructed of any waste or cheap material. In addition, the shank-and-heel-.apr'on or covering member C may have a selected configuration upon its under orouter face and may alsobe of any selected color, such, for instance, as brown, Figure 3, or black,Figurlev.10, so as to .blend or matchwith the upper or heel-covering of the particular shoe in which the sole D is incorporated, as illustrated in Figure 8, the outer-sole D lending itself most' economically to the conservation and rationing of sole leather, a product now becoming more and more dicult of obtaining for civilian shoe production, and also adding very considerably to the attractiveness and appearance ofthe particular shoe.

Preferably, it may be herev stated, the apronmember C at its forward end and the sole-member A at its rear end are co-operably or registrably scalloped or otherwise formed or shaped for appearance only, as shown in Figures l, 3, 4, and

although it is, to be understood that such members may abut in a straight line or joint, as at 1, Figure l0, in which latter event the row of over and under through stitches 6 is in a straight line thereacross following the straight joint line 1.

In the modified outer-sole fragmentally shown in longitudinal section in Figure 9, the sole member A" is overlapped at its rear skived end-portion 4"v upon the skived rear end-portions of both members B and C", and the three members A", B", and C joined permanently together'not only by an interposed layer of adhesive 2", but also by a row of over and under through stitches 6, as shown.

I might add that, in either form, the outersole D is lasted in thev production'of a particular shoe, as illustrated in Figure 8, just exactly as lasting is accomplished with the single piece, longitudinally slit outer-sole of today, the member C or C", as the case may be, being free from the heel-and-shank member B for convenient covering attachment to and upon and over the breast of the heel of the nished shoe S, as shown in Figure 8.

Preferably also, as a matter of precaution, thel several members of the particular outer-sole may be further xed together by additional rows of thread stitches, as, for instance, the rows 8, 8, shown in Figure 10.

The outer sole D may be readily and inexpensively constructed and fullls in every respect the objects stated, and it is to be understood that other changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the outer-sole may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and. principle of my invention.

Having thus' described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe outer-sole including a fore-part member, a heeland-shank member, and a shank-and'heelcover ing member fixed together at respective ends andv the, shank-and-heel-covering member being free throughout a portion of its length from the foreapart and the heel-and-shankmembers.

2. Asv a new article, of manufacture, a shoe outersole including a semirigid fore-partmember, a flexiblev heel-and-sliank member, and a.y flexible shank-and-heel-covering member fixed together at respectiyeendsand the shankandrheel-covering member being free throughouta portion of itsV length from the forepart of heeli-and-shank members.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe outer-sole including a fore-part member of' sole leather, a. exible heel-andfshank member of thinner material than the fore-part member, the fore-part member at an4 end portion overlapping upon the heel-and-shank member, a flexible shank-and-heel-covering member disposed registrablyfor the most part upon the heel-and-shank member, and securing means engaging said members, the heel-and-shank-covering member being free throughout a major portion of its length from the fore-part and heel-and-shank members.

4; As a "new, article of manufacture, a shoe outer-sole including a fore-part member of sole leather,l a eirible heel-and-shank member of thinner material than the fore-part member, the fore-part member at an end portion overlapping upon the heel-and-shank member, a exible shank-and-heel-covering member disposed registrably for the most part upon the heel-andshank member, and means comprising thread stitching engaging said members, the heel-andshank-covering member being free throughout a major portion of its length from the fore-part and heel-and-shank members.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe outer-sole including a fore-part member of sole leather, a flexible heel-and-shank member of thinner material than the fore-part member, the fore-part member at an end portion overlapping upon the heel-and-shank member, a exible shank-and-heel-covering member disposed registrably for the most part upon the heel-andshank member and endwise 4abutting the overlapping end of the fore-part member, and means comprising thread-stitching engaging said members, the heel-and-shank-covering member being free throughout a major portion of its length from the fore-part and heel-and-shank members.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe outer-soleY including a fore-part member of sole leather, a exibleheel-and-shank member of thinner material than the yfore-part member, a exible shank-and-heel-covering memberI disposed registrably' for the most part upon the heeland-shank member, the fore-partA member at an end portion overlapping upon the hell-and-shank member and the shank-and-heel-covering member, and securing means engaging said members, the shank-and-heel-covering member' being free throughout a major portion of its length from the fore-part and heel-and-shank members.

'7. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe outer-sole including a fore-part member of shoe leather, a flexible heel-and-shank member of thinner material than the fore-part member, the fore-part member at an end portion overlapping upon and at an end xed to the heelandshank member, a flexible shank-and-heel-covering member disposed registrably for the most part upon and atan end fixedl to the heel-and-shank member, andv securing thread stitching engaging the three members, the shank-and-heel-covering memberbeing free throughout a major portion of its length from the fore-part and heel-and-shank members.

8. As a new article of manufacture, a shoe outer-sole including a fore-part member of soleleather, a exible heel-andshank member of thinner material than the fore-part member, a flexible shank-and-heel-covering member disposed registrably for the most part upon the heeland-shank member, and means engaging said members for securing the same together, the shank-and-heel-covering member being free throughout a major portion of its length from the fore-part and heel-and-shank members and being of a selected color.

JOI-IN J'. WALSH. 

